Separator



E. C. HORST.

SEPARATOR. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 29. I920.

Pdtenfied Feb. 23, 1922.

IN V EN TOR. f/ f/L CL [ME/1A9 H0987.

ATTORNEY types. the separators employed a series of EMIL CLEMENS HORST,OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

SEPARATOR.

Specification of Lettersfatent. Patented Feb 28 1922.

. Application filed September 29, 1920. Serial No. 413,577.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMIL CLEMENS Hons'r, a citizen of the United States,re siding at the city and county of San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Separators,ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a separator and especially to a machine forseparating leaves, petals, stems, etc., from hops and the like. I I

Pickingof hops by machinery is resorted to at the present time inseveral of the larger hop growing districts, and is becoming more andmore a necessity, due to the scarcity of labor and other troublesconnected with the industry. Hops picked by machinery will,as a rule,contain a considerable quantity of leaves, petals, stems and otherforeign matter; the major portion of which is removed by separators ofvarious It happens however that most of are not capable of thoroughlyseparating the hops. For instance one type of separator may be fairlyefficient for removing leaves and petals, while another type may befairly efficient for removing stems or similar material. It.isT-therefore .more or less common practice to pass the hops throughtwo or more separating operations before they are consideredsufliciently clean to be dried and baled.

.Oneof the ob 'ects of the present invention is to .provide asimple andeasily operated separator, which is capable ofefliciently removing bothstems, leaves and petals.

Another object of the invention is to provide a separator which consistsof two distinct separating units, one of said units consisting of aninclined continuously travel ling belt for the removal of leaves,petals, stems, etc., and a second unit consisting of deflectors capableof removing the major portion of the sound hops, said second unitbeingplaced above the first unit or the belt and receiving the hops tobe cleaned. All the hops are therefore received on the first unit and asthe major portion of the clean hops are removed by deflector action, itis obvious that the secondary unit or the belt is subjected to acomparatively small volume of hops when in operation.

Another object of the invention is to pro longitudinally as at isprovided which extend through the slotted portions belt 4,

vide means for imparting a vibratory movement to the deflecting unit toincrease the efliciency of the deflectors and to automatically removestems, leaves, petals, etc., which may have a tendencyto lodge upon thedeflectors. 7

Further objects will hereinafter appear.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction, combinationand arrangement of parts, as hereinafter more fully described andclaimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings -in which Fig. 1is a side elevation in section show ing-the position of the twoseparating-units. Fig. 2 is a front view of the separator.

Referring to the drawings in detail, A indicates a frame of suitableconstruction in which is journalled a pair of shafts 2 and These shaftsareseparated and the shaft 2 is placed above the shaft 3 so that a belt4t supported thereby ma assume an inclined position as shown. nysuitable form of belt may be employed. For instance a belt constructedof, canvas, rubber or the like. The belt employed in the presentinstance is attached to cross slats 5 in a. manner similar to draperbelt. These cross slats are in turn secured to sprocket chains 6,disposed on belt, and the chains are in turn supported by sprocket gears7 secured on the shafts 2 and 3, respectively, there being of course twopair of interspaced sprocket gears on each shaft.

- Extending crosswise of the main frame is a shaft 8, and pivotallysupported bythe shaftis a pair of interspaced side bars9 which areconnected by means of jumper plates or deflectors 10, of which there area suitable number, depending upon the size of theseparator. The sidebars 9 are slotted l1. and each deflector with a pair of end bolts 12,

ll of the side bars. These bolts are tightened. when the deflectors arein position by means of nuts 14:, as the outer ends of the bolts 12 arethreaded and they therefore permit aCljliSt-illQllllOf the individualdeflectors, first in regard to spacing, and secondly as to the inclinepresented. The side bars 9 are disposed above the main separating andconsequently the deflecting plates 10; These plates are provided foropposite sides of the the purpose of disposing of the major portion ofthe hops delivered to the machlne, or in other words for the purpose ofre lieving the main separating belt of congestion as will hereinafter bedescribed.

The lower ends of the side bars are provided with shoes or strikerplates 15, which are engaged by cams 16. These cams are disposed one oneach end of the shaft 3 1n al1gnment with the side bars and will, duringthe revolution of the shafts 2 and 3, intermittently raise the side barsin unison and thereby impart a vibratory or lntermittent drop movementto the deflecting plates 10, that is the shoes 15 engaged by the camsare raised comparatively slowly, but are permitted to drop rapidly bygravity, due to the shape of the cams, the cams employed being similarto those used in stamp mills, etc. 7

The hops to be separated or cleaned are delivered to the machine by afeed conveyor 17 of suitable construction. The clean hops are removedfrom the machine by a clean hop conveyor 18 andthe leaves, petals,stems, etc., by a discharge conveyor 19. All the conveyors employed areof the endless belt type and may be suitably arranged and driven,similarly power may be transmitted to drive the main separating belt inany suitable manner or as here shown by a pulley he operation of themachine will be as follows:. The main feed conveyor 17 is positionedslightly above the first deflecting plate 10 carried by the side bars 9.The hops delivered by the conveyor drop downwardly on the firstdeflecting plate and as this is y l slightly inclined as shown, it canbev seen that the major portion of the hops will bounce off the plate tothe second and third plate and so on, until they are deposited upon-theclean hop conveyor 18. Hops are bouncing or jumping action when droppedupon a deflecting surface, this peculiar tendency has been takenadvantage of to remove the major portion of the sound hops before orwithout subjecting the same to the action of the main separator belt 4.In other words, comparatively all sound hops are disposed of withoutoverburdening or congesting the main separator belt. tion of the hopswill, however, drop downwardly between the deflecting plates and lodgeupon the inclined surface of the upwardly travelling belt 4. All soundhops encountering the belt will jump and roll in a downward directionand will finally be delivered to the clean hop conveyor 18, whileleaves, stems, petals or other foreign material delivered upon the belt,will adhere thereto and will be delivered to the discharge conveyor 19..A considerable quantity of petals, leaves, etc., will also lodge uponthe deflecting plates 10, but as the plates are constantly subjected toavibratory movement, it is obvious that the leaves and other matter willslide offthe plates and I will drop between the same and finally lodgedeliver all the upon the belt, which will i discharge conbecause themajor portion lodges upon the deflecting plates, and secondly, becausethis' material is subjected to a second separating action when depositedupon the main belt.

The capacity of the machine is more than double, due to the two distinctseparating actions taking place and a cleaner product is obtained;Subjecting the hops to two'or more separating actions in separatemachines is also obviated and the cost of handling similarly reduced.

While a more or less specific structurev is shown, I wish it understoodthat various changes in form and proportion may be resorted to withinthe scope of the appended claims, similarly that the materials andfinish of the several parts employedmay be such as the experience andjudgment of the manufacturer may dictateor varying uses may demand. 1

.Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secureby Letters atent is--- j 1. In a separator of the character describedthe combination with the main se arating belt of apair of side barspivotally supported at oneend above the belt, deflecting plates securedbetween the side bars, a pair of cam membeis engageable with the freeend of the side bars and adapted to impart a vibratory movement thereto.Ina separator of the character described the combination with the mainseparating belt of a pair of cam members'rotating in unison therewith, apair of side bars disposed above the belt, a shaft on which said barsare pivotally mounted, said cams'supporting the lower ends of the sidebars and imparting a vibratory movement thereto, and deflector platessecured between the side bars. 1 p j 8. In a separator of the characterde scribed the combination with the main separating belt of a pair ofcam members rotating in unison therewith, a pair of side bars disposedabove the belt, a shaft on which said bars are cams supporting the lowerends of the side bars and imparting a vibratory movement thereto,deflector plates secured between the side bars, and means permittingseparation of the deflecting plates and adjustment of the individualplates to present varying angles.

4:. A hop separator comprising a main frame, a. pair of shaftsjournalled in the frame, an endless upwardly travelling inclined beltsupported by said shafts, a pair of side bars disposed above the belt, apivotal mounting at the upper ends supporting the same, a pair of cammembers on one of the shafts supporting the lower ends of the side barsand imparting a vibratory movement thereto, a longitudinally extendingslot formed in each side bar, a series of superposed deflecting platesdisposed between the side bars and a fastening member at each end ofeach deflecting plate permitting angular adjustment of the individualdeflecting plates and separation of the same.

5. A separator comprising an endless belt, a pair of side framespivotally supported at one end above the belt, means engaging the lowerends of the side frames for imparting vibratory movement thereto, and aseries of adjustable deflector plates supported by the side frames.

of the bars 6. A separator comprising an endless belt, means fortransmitting motion thereto, a pair of side bars pivotally supported atone end above the belt, a longitudinally extending slot formed in eachside frame, a series of deflecting plates having projections engagingthe slots in the side frames for adjustably supporting the plates, andmeans engaging the free end of the side frames for imparting vibratorymovement thereto.

7. In combination with an endless travelling belt and delivery anddischarge mechanism associated therewith, of a series of adjustabledeflecting plates, a frame adapted to support the same, the said framepivotally supported at one end, and means operated in unison with theendless belt and engageable with the free end of the frame for impartingoscillating movement to said frame.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

EMIL CLEMENS HORST.

Witnesses:

T. P. SETTLE, T. W. TEARZE.

